Post by Philip Ayres on Sept 12, 2009 15:50:25 GMT
Powermaster Optmius Prime
For me the story of Powermaster Optimus Prime really starts with the battle scene picture on the 1988 series of Transformers. By this time the battle scene images weren't being carried on carded stock so I'm guessing I first encountered it on a second series Headmaster or early Pretender box. Central to this image is Optimus Prime, returning from the dead to lead the Autobots. But this Prime is a little different with guns on his trailer and shoulders. And he looks bigger....
Optimus Prime's truck mode closely resembles the original Optimus Prime albeit with the slightly less realistic, more cartoon style employed on toys at the time like the other Powermasters. The cab on this version is completely red plastic with the windows as stickers as opposed to the mainly metal cab with clear plastic windows of the original. The new trailer & cab are of a similar scale to the originals, just slightly bulkier and with a longer cab slightly more angled at the front. There's still a fold down ramp at the back of the railer but the space within is a fraction of that on the original toy. The most obvious difference between this toy and the original is some additional red and blue panels at the front of the trailer. These stick out a bit - especially the large area of red down the bottom - and are made even worse by what appears to be a pair of large red hands sticking out the top of the front of the trailer !
Powermaster Hi-Q is a Nebulon figure supplied with the toy that's a similar size to the original Powermasters. He's got a white chest & head, black lower legs and red upper legs & one piece arms which turn at the shoulders. His back is covered by an Engine panel moulded in grey. The Powermaster Nebulons are used to unlock a crucial part of the transformation process on the toy. All Powermaster engines seem to work with all larger Powermaster robots.
TF to robot: Fold Hi-Q's arms to down his sides, fold his legs out to the sides at the hips then fold the lower legs up till they're alongside his arms. Turn him around so the engine on his back faces you. Push the robot side into the front of Optimus' cab to unlock the transformation. Fold the truck's flatbed down under the cab to form the robot's legs and fold the end of that out to form his feet.Fold each half of the back of the cab out to the sides and forward to from his upper arms, then fold the lower arms down from there. Fold his waist plate down and fold the head up.
The biggest shock for the robot mode is it's back to front compared to the original Prime robot - the familiar Prime robot chest isn't the front of the cab and this has always struck me as odd because this Prime does have a proper look to the front of the vehicle mode. Instead we get something with the windows angled to a point. Otherwise it looks like the original Prime, just an inch or so taller while having the same width. The shoulder articulation has gone as has the rotational joint at the elbow leaving us with just a bending lower arm the whole of which is coloured dark blue - not just the fist. The legs bend at the hips and a very low knee, but the legs are now linked by a bar between his feet. The two large guns supplied with the toy look a little big on the smaller robot - they're so large that from 5mm peg handle to stock is greater than the length of Prime's arm meaning that you can raise the lower arm by 90 degrees while he's holding the gun - maybe a smaller more accurate G1 Prime gun could have been included ?
Like the original Optimus Prime, the trailer can transform into a base mode. Remove both dual cannons and both black guns. On the sides of the trailer fold the middle back to cover the rear sides. Split the back of the trailer in two down the middle and fold out to the sides. Place on the folded out rear of the trailer. Fold down the remaining back panel to form a ramp. Fold the side panels forward and fold a ramp out from the side of each one. Fold the sides of the front of the trailer out to the sides and then rotate so they point to the sky. Mount one or both black hand guns in the sides of these towers. Rotate the trailer hitch forward as a cannon. Place the dual cannons into the holes on the blue panels formed from `the rear of the trailer.
The base mode consists of an open top & back central building with ramps to the side and front not 100% dissimilar to the previous year's Scorponok. Optimus Prime can stand in the building towering above everything but it's designed to be on the same scale as the Nebulons - in fact the Powermaster Nebulons can sit aside the dual cannons. It's not Fortress Maximus' base mode, in fact it's not even as good as the original Prime base mode. But it's there and isn't too unreasonable.
The main purpose of the trailer is to combine with the cab to form Optimus' Super Mode. Start with both cab and trailer in vehicle mode. Fold the blue flatbed up behind the cab. Take the trailer and stand on it's back with the underside towards you. Fold the mid panels on the side down. Fold the red front of the trailer down to the sides and then fold down 90 degrees to form the arms. Fold the trailer hitch right the way back so it's down the back of the super robot. Slot the cab, with it's front facing forward, downwards into the space at the front of the super robot. Peg the dual cannons into the shoulders and the black hand guns into his fists - these can be stored on the robot's back. Finally mount the Super Robot head on top of the cab
The combined robot is effectively a bigger version of the original - dark blue lower legs, red body & arms and blue Prime shaped head. In this respect the Hasbro designers got it right at the first time of asking. The dual cannons on shoulders are a nice touch - they occupy the space previously taken by the exhaust pipes on Optimus Prime's original form. The articulation is severely lacking - this is the first of the real brick leaders in the G1 line - with just the shoulders turning. The proportions of the toy are all over the place though - the head is far too big, the arms too short, the waist too big and the legs - particularly the upper legs - too short. Compared to the illustration on the back of the 1988 boxes The cab bulges out of the robots chest projecting forward by nearly 20mm and up by 5mm - it's flush on the illustration which also shows a turning head, bending arms, legs & hips all of which are missing from the final toy.
Hasbro goes through cycles of what they think a Transformers toy buyer would like. Action features, smaller companion robots, accurate vehicle modes, animal alternate modes and for one odd period Transformers that don't transform. What I think Transformers fans (note the difference) really want is the original toy, but bigger, better, more articulation and a likeness close to the G1 cartoon. In Many ways the Powermaster Optimus is dead on the money - it's obviously Optimus and the combined mode gives the leader added size. In others the original is far superior - better trailer, better small robot, better articulation, better proportioned robot.
Optimus Prime was available in the UK, Europe and the USA during 1988 & 1988 with some stock surviving even later. Comic fact: Optimus Prime used this body in the US comic for longer than he used his original body - issues 1-24 (24 issues, give or take being headless and not appearing) vs 42-76 (35 issues)
Super Ginrai
The Powermaster Optimus Prime toy was released in Japan as Godmaster Super Ginrai (the Godmaster and smaller robot are both called Ginrai, the super form is Super Ginrai). Why is this toy called Ginrai ? Why not Godmaster Convoy ? What possessed Takara to call something that's obviously Optimus Prime by a different name ? I don't know. But Ginrai he is, which when translated to English means Thunderclash, which is the name of the Turbomaster leader. Here's my thoughts from when I received the reissue version:
My Godmaster Ginrai arrived today - at last, and accompanied by a customs charge....
A few thoughts off my head:
For a start I nearly dropped the cab getting it out of it's box ! I've got PM Prime so I've got a reasonable idea how much the thing weighs, but the Ginrai cab is an awful lot heavier due to the presence of the die cast cab front. This makes a lot of difference to the toy - I can't get over how much it looks like the original Op Cab now - rather than the slightly cheaper looking Powermaster Prime version. (fetches Powermaster Prime from the loft) The Powermaster Prime chest looks very flat by comparison. Where the Powermaster Prime chest is one piece the Ginrai chest is the mainly metal upper piece, the chrome bumper and lights section, the very dark blue Perspex windows and the Engine grill. The engine grill is a big improvement over the Powermaster version - where the Powermaster one is grey with some silver highlights, the Ginrai version is red round the outside with only the centre piece grey. In fact the grill is one of the few places - the other being the back of the legs - where the shade of grey that is on many of PM Prime's pieces appears on God Ginrai. Mostly these pieces are molded in a silvery colour nearly identical to original Optimus' trailer - which is great since loads of these bits do form the trailer ! The HI-Q's engine backpack, the exhausts on the back of the cab and the front of the upper legs are also rendered in chrome like the front bumper.. The small robot Powermaster Prime's eyes were red - Ginrai's small robot eyes are blue
The other major difference between Ginrai and Powermaster Prime is the arms. Powermaster Prime owners may like me have been slightly annoyed over the years by the way that the arms don't feel in proportion with the rest of the toy. It's fairly well known that Ginrai's arms have extending fists - blue as opposed the fixed red of Powermater Prime. I'm wondering if there isn't a molding error on the arms/fists - if the blue sliders for the fists were unerneath the arms then they wouldn't be visible in super robot mode. The fists aren't the only difference between the two in the arms - Where Powermaster Prime has flat surfaces between the armour on his shoulders and forearms there's a cog like molding to indicate an elbow on Ginrai - sadly it doesn't bend. This cog is a couple of millimetres larger than the corresponding flat surface on Powermaster Prime. The forearm is maybe 7 or 8 millimetres longer giving the arm about a centimetre longer on Ginrai - Ginrai's wrist is level with the end of PM Prime's hand. On top of this you've got the hand - about 10 mm long - giving the arms a much longer and more proportioned look on Ginrai. I have to ask myself why these were changed for the US version - though if Powermaster Prime came first it's easy to see why the Japanese would change it.
Two other minor points: The large robot head is the same as the western version which looks a little big still on Ginrai and Ginrai has some ridges on the recesses on the barrels of his guns that Powermaster Prime doesn't have.
VERY nice piece overall, and I'm astonished by how much difference the tiny changes between the molds make !
Ginrai was released as Transformers toy C-307 and was also available in the C-310 giftset which was reissued c2001
Godbomber
Godbomber was at the time a unique toy. It's a Japanese exclusive for a start which serves as an add on to a larger toy that drastically impoves it. I saw it on a friends Japanese toy sheet in 1992 and by 1993 we'd acquired one.
Godbomber's vehicle mode is like a van - a chromed front with three empty windows - in the cartoon he transports the three smaller Autobot Headmaster humans - with some red wings sticking up at the back alongside a black firing cannons The top of the vehicle is blue with the bulk of the body being grey. All colours match Ginrai's. He can be used independently, towed by Ginrai's cab - the tow bar pegs into the hitch for the trailer - or towed by the trailer - the tow bar fits into a space between the back wheels when you part the super robot legs and is held there when you push them back together.
To transform Godbomber into robot mode you have to take it apart. This automatically sets some people against it. The chrome front unclips, the wings & cannon are removed, the blue arms that form the top of the vehicle unpeg, the grey panel on top is removed from the base and the base splits in two. Place the base halves next to each other with the grey sides next to each other. Fold feet out the front of the base and stand the legs up. Fold the tow bar back inside the chrome cab front so it's pointing backward. Fold a Sideswipe like head up from the grey top panel, then clip the top panel into the chrome cab front making sure the tow bar is held within the body cavity. Mount this body piece on both legs. Peg the red wings into the shoulders. Peg the blue arms into the wings. The gun can either peg on the top of the body's shoulder or be used as a hand held weapon as can any of Prime's weapons.
Yes it's another brick with just turning arms. It's quite a big brick though, but slightly plain looking in robot mode from the front with just blue and grey visible. As a stand alone toy - a take it apart trailer to robot - Godbomber isn't that good but his other (real ?) function as add on battle armour which adds bulk and height to Ginrai really makes this toy. (see bellow)
The closest any Transformer toy comes to Godbomber is Armada Overload - trailer, forms add on for larger robot - but even he can be transformed without coming to pieces !
Godbomber was released as Transformers toy C-309 and was also available in the C-310 giftset which was reissued c2001
Famously early prototypes for Ginrai exist as shown on P38 Generations. The one there has a silver cab front with open windows and has lost it's missile launcher compared to this prototype. A slightly different one is seen on early versions of the Godmaster leaflet showing a flatter silver grey used for the cab front with filled in windows. He's got a missile launcher but is pictured holding a Ginrai handgun. All these versions involve more hinged panels and the missile launcher mount would appear to pivot back. I'll talk about the prototype again bellow when I discuss it's impact on the combined robot.
God Ginrai
God Ginrai is formed by combining Super Ginrai & God Bomber.
To combine the two toys strip Super Ginrai of all four weapons and raise the trailer hitch so it's pointing out the back of the robot. Disassemble Godbomber. Godbomber's legs become God Ginrai's feet - place them wheel together and pointing up. Super Ginrai's feet then clip into the back of the new feet while pushing him down locks them into place between Super Ginrai's Clip Godbomber's blue arms over Super Ginrai's red ones - the blue arms are hollow so there's no need to retract the fists (This does of course mean that Powermaster Prime has no problem wearing the Godbomber armour). The grey panel pegs into Ginrai's back and the trailer hitch folds down on top of it. Peg the red wings into the sides of the back panels - I use the side peg with the peg hole facing backwards and then mount Super Ginrai's hand guns on the back to resemble Prime's exhaust pipes. Super Ginrai's dual cannons then plug into the sides of the feet. Fold the trailer hitch on the chrome cab piece forward then clip the cab over Super Ginrai's chest folding the trailer hitch down to cover the waist. Peg the side peg of Godbomber's missile launcher into the hole on the top of the chrome chest piece with the long peg behind God Ginrai's head.
Once you see God Ginrai assembled a lot of the odd design choice on Super Ginrai make sense. The head is the right size now for the larger God Ginrai toy and the legs are in proportion compared to the rest of his body. Articulation is the same as the smaller robot but Godbomber's missile launcher provides him with a nice shoulder cannon. The chromed chest gives a real sense of this being an armoured version of the smaller toy.
God Ginrai was formed from Transformers toys C-307 Super Ginrai & C-309 God Bomber. He was available in the C-310 giftset which was reissued c2001 - the only differences between the two giftsets is that the 1988 version has a styrofoam box insert compared to the clear plastic one in the 2001 version and the 2001 version is missing the original 1988 catalogues and offer leaflets.
Back to the Godbomber prototype. This would have given us a slightly different version of God Ginrai. He'd have gained a new handgun from Godbomber, but the differently moulded pieces would have given him smaller blue arm pieces seemingly still complete with 5mm shoulder ports that could have taken the dual cannons - loosing these is one of the few minus points against God Ginrai - while the front of the shoulders would have been covered by red wing slaps attached to the sides of the chest which in turn would have limited the arm movements.
Fire Guts Super Ginrai, Fire Guts Godbomber and Fire Guts God Ginrai
As with most Japanese reissues God Ginrai got some limited edition recolours. Fire Guts God Ginrai is proof that you can be colour blind and work in the Takara design department ! Over all parts of the toy the following colour swaps are applied: red, white & grey all become orange, blue becomes red, clear blue becomes clear orange and silver chrome becomes gold chrome while black stays the same.
My eyes, my eyes, it hurts my eyes. Possibly the worst repaint not to use Energon Blue !
Fire Guts God Ginrai was an e-Hobby exclusive.
Nucleon Quest Super Convoy
Nucleon Quest Super Convoy is a bit of an odd toy - it's just the Powermaster Prime/Ginrai portion of the reissued giftset, there's no God Bomber in this recolour. It's also one of the few (only ?) Black Convoy's not to be an Evil Convoy. The following colour swaps are applied: red, white, blue & grey all become black while clear blue becomes clear red and both the black & silver chrome stay the same.
There's almost an obligation to do a black Prime repaint. If someone said Powermaster Prime in black this is what you'd think of, there's no mucking about here with other odd colours. Does the job.
Nucleon Quest Super Convoy was available as a Toys R Us store exclusive in Japan in 2001.
Reissue Powermaster Prime, Apex Bomber and Apex Prime
Hasbro decided to reissue Powermaster Optimus Prime as a parts Toys R Us' exclusive Commemorative Series II in 2003. This version of Powermaster Optimus Prime is different to the original - it's a direct port of the Ginrai mold complete with chrome and metal chest and as such is a huge improvement over the original. As an added bonus the pack also includes Godbomber - rechristened Apex Bomber - in his first western release ! Apex Bomber's missiles are substantially remoulded to conform to US safety standards but this is the only alteration to the set that I can spot.
Given an improved toy with a new extra toy you'd have thought it would have flown off the shelves ? No, Toys R Us in the UK have had them until quite recently.
Really there's no excuse, if you want a Powermaster Prime then buy this one
Future Recolours
Nucleon Quest Super Convoy should prove an adequate Scourge/Nemesis Prime stand in but Powermaster Prime has never been issued as Ultra Magnus. With a new head and maybe new shoulder weapons it'd be interesting to see the result.
How To Improve Powermaster Optimus Prime
One of the reasons I wanted to review Powermaster Prime was to get this written out. When Masterpiece Optimus Prime came out I looked at it and thought "Original Prime doesn't need this, he's good enough already." If an early Prime toy needs reworking then it's the Powermaster Optimus Prime. Starting from the Ginrai version of the mould here's what I'd do:
1) Firstly the cab would transform like the original Prime cab, with the cab front becoming the robot's chest. Why change it ? And as an added bonus that would mean the head was facing the other way so you could fold the small head up in combined robot mode. While we're at it make the small robot's lower arms red and the fists blue.
2) An aside really this - I'd re-articulate Hi-Q with ball jointed hips and knees so he can bend his legs properly.
3) Elbows ! Look you can see how they'd work with the molding on the Japanese version. Given a decent degree of customising skill I'm sure you could make a Powermaster prime who's elbows would bend it's so obvious what needs to happen.
4) It wouldn't be too hard to include a swivel bicep joint on each arm above the elbow. Again a skilled customiser could probably do it themselves.
5) Indeed with a little extra work the elbow would recess into the upper arm panels in truck mode giving a flat front to the truck trailer.
6) While we look at the truck trailer lets alter the blue panels at the front that the robot arms are attached to. Either make them grey so they match the side of the truck in vehicle mode or red so they match the robot's body in combined mode. The box back image shows the blue panel as red giving a unified colour to this front area on the trailer.
5) The waist represents a problem. I'd like the toy to have a waist since there's an obvious flat join between the red body and white waist section. However what do you do about the the back panel which is hinged to the waist ? Two solutions - connect the back panel with a three way hinge attached to the upper body or turn it into a shield with a large Autobot symbol on it
6) Hips & Knees. The toy obviously should have them but I'm a bit defeated how to work them in
7) Make the head turn - alter the mounting to the body.
8) Make the eyes light up in the head head - there's room for an LED and some watch cell battery in there. Power it by a small trigger at the back of the head - like Armada Prime - or better yet engineer it to be triggered by the Powermaster socket somehow - push HI-Q in and the eyes light up.
9) Make dual cannons elevate by hinging them at the base.
10) Convert both the dual cannons (and black guns ?) to fire missiles
11) Make the trailer hitch into a removable G1 Prime gun for the small robot - could be done by having the barrel as the 5mm peg and the stock lock between two spring loaded pegs at the top.
12) Make cab front line up with the sides of the super mode body as shown on the back of box picture to make the cab flush with the super robot body at the top and front.
They produce that and I'll pay for it.
For me the story of Powermaster Optimus Prime really starts with the battle scene picture on the 1988 series of Transformers. By this time the battle scene images weren't being carried on carded stock so I'm guessing I first encountered it on a second series Headmaster or early Pretender box. Central to this image is Optimus Prime, returning from the dead to lead the Autobots. But this Prime is a little different with guns on his trailer and shoulders. And he looks bigger....
Optimus Prime's truck mode closely resembles the original Optimus Prime albeit with the slightly less realistic, more cartoon style employed on toys at the time like the other Powermasters. The cab on this version is completely red plastic with the windows as stickers as opposed to the mainly metal cab with clear plastic windows of the original. The new trailer & cab are of a similar scale to the originals, just slightly bulkier and with a longer cab slightly more angled at the front. There's still a fold down ramp at the back of the railer but the space within is a fraction of that on the original toy. The most obvious difference between this toy and the original is some additional red and blue panels at the front of the trailer. These stick out a bit - especially the large area of red down the bottom - and are made even worse by what appears to be a pair of large red hands sticking out the top of the front of the trailer !
Powermaster Hi-Q is a Nebulon figure supplied with the toy that's a similar size to the original Powermasters. He's got a white chest & head, black lower legs and red upper legs & one piece arms which turn at the shoulders. His back is covered by an Engine panel moulded in grey. The Powermaster Nebulons are used to unlock a crucial part of the transformation process on the toy. All Powermaster engines seem to work with all larger Powermaster robots.
TF to robot: Fold Hi-Q's arms to down his sides, fold his legs out to the sides at the hips then fold the lower legs up till they're alongside his arms. Turn him around so the engine on his back faces you. Push the robot side into the front of Optimus' cab to unlock the transformation. Fold the truck's flatbed down under the cab to form the robot's legs and fold the end of that out to form his feet.Fold each half of the back of the cab out to the sides and forward to from his upper arms, then fold the lower arms down from there. Fold his waist plate down and fold the head up.
The biggest shock for the robot mode is it's back to front compared to the original Prime robot - the familiar Prime robot chest isn't the front of the cab and this has always struck me as odd because this Prime does have a proper look to the front of the vehicle mode. Instead we get something with the windows angled to a point. Otherwise it looks like the original Prime, just an inch or so taller while having the same width. The shoulder articulation has gone as has the rotational joint at the elbow leaving us with just a bending lower arm the whole of which is coloured dark blue - not just the fist. The legs bend at the hips and a very low knee, but the legs are now linked by a bar between his feet. The two large guns supplied with the toy look a little big on the smaller robot - they're so large that from 5mm peg handle to stock is greater than the length of Prime's arm meaning that you can raise the lower arm by 90 degrees while he's holding the gun - maybe a smaller more accurate G1 Prime gun could have been included ?
Like the original Optimus Prime, the trailer can transform into a base mode. Remove both dual cannons and both black guns. On the sides of the trailer fold the middle back to cover the rear sides. Split the back of the trailer in two down the middle and fold out to the sides. Place on the folded out rear of the trailer. Fold down the remaining back panel to form a ramp. Fold the side panels forward and fold a ramp out from the side of each one. Fold the sides of the front of the trailer out to the sides and then rotate so they point to the sky. Mount one or both black hand guns in the sides of these towers. Rotate the trailer hitch forward as a cannon. Place the dual cannons into the holes on the blue panels formed from `the rear of the trailer.
The base mode consists of an open top & back central building with ramps to the side and front not 100% dissimilar to the previous year's Scorponok. Optimus Prime can stand in the building towering above everything but it's designed to be on the same scale as the Nebulons - in fact the Powermaster Nebulons can sit aside the dual cannons. It's not Fortress Maximus' base mode, in fact it's not even as good as the original Prime base mode. But it's there and isn't too unreasonable.
The main purpose of the trailer is to combine with the cab to form Optimus' Super Mode. Start with both cab and trailer in vehicle mode. Fold the blue flatbed up behind the cab. Take the trailer and stand on it's back with the underside towards you. Fold the mid panels on the side down. Fold the red front of the trailer down to the sides and then fold down 90 degrees to form the arms. Fold the trailer hitch right the way back so it's down the back of the super robot. Slot the cab, with it's front facing forward, downwards into the space at the front of the super robot. Peg the dual cannons into the shoulders and the black hand guns into his fists - these can be stored on the robot's back. Finally mount the Super Robot head on top of the cab
The combined robot is effectively a bigger version of the original - dark blue lower legs, red body & arms and blue Prime shaped head. In this respect the Hasbro designers got it right at the first time of asking. The dual cannons on shoulders are a nice touch - they occupy the space previously taken by the exhaust pipes on Optimus Prime's original form. The articulation is severely lacking - this is the first of the real brick leaders in the G1 line - with just the shoulders turning. The proportions of the toy are all over the place though - the head is far too big, the arms too short, the waist too big and the legs - particularly the upper legs - too short. Compared to the illustration on the back of the 1988 boxes The cab bulges out of the robots chest projecting forward by nearly 20mm and up by 5mm - it's flush on the illustration which also shows a turning head, bending arms, legs & hips all of which are missing from the final toy.
Hasbro goes through cycles of what they think a Transformers toy buyer would like. Action features, smaller companion robots, accurate vehicle modes, animal alternate modes and for one odd period Transformers that don't transform. What I think Transformers fans (note the difference) really want is the original toy, but bigger, better, more articulation and a likeness close to the G1 cartoon. In Many ways the Powermaster Optimus is dead on the money - it's obviously Optimus and the combined mode gives the leader added size. In others the original is far superior - better trailer, better small robot, better articulation, better proportioned robot.
Optimus Prime was available in the UK, Europe and the USA during 1988 & 1988 with some stock surviving even later. Comic fact: Optimus Prime used this body in the US comic for longer than he used his original body - issues 1-24 (24 issues, give or take being headless and not appearing) vs 42-76 (35 issues)
Super Ginrai
The Powermaster Optimus Prime toy was released in Japan as Godmaster Super Ginrai (the Godmaster and smaller robot are both called Ginrai, the super form is Super Ginrai). Why is this toy called Ginrai ? Why not Godmaster Convoy ? What possessed Takara to call something that's obviously Optimus Prime by a different name ? I don't know. But Ginrai he is, which when translated to English means Thunderclash, which is the name of the Turbomaster leader. Here's my thoughts from when I received the reissue version:
My Godmaster Ginrai arrived today - at last, and accompanied by a customs charge....
A few thoughts off my head:
For a start I nearly dropped the cab getting it out of it's box ! I've got PM Prime so I've got a reasonable idea how much the thing weighs, but the Ginrai cab is an awful lot heavier due to the presence of the die cast cab front. This makes a lot of difference to the toy - I can't get over how much it looks like the original Op Cab now - rather than the slightly cheaper looking Powermaster Prime version. (fetches Powermaster Prime from the loft) The Powermaster Prime chest looks very flat by comparison. Where the Powermaster Prime chest is one piece the Ginrai chest is the mainly metal upper piece, the chrome bumper and lights section, the very dark blue Perspex windows and the Engine grill. The engine grill is a big improvement over the Powermaster version - where the Powermaster one is grey with some silver highlights, the Ginrai version is red round the outside with only the centre piece grey. In fact the grill is one of the few places - the other being the back of the legs - where the shade of grey that is on many of PM Prime's pieces appears on God Ginrai. Mostly these pieces are molded in a silvery colour nearly identical to original Optimus' trailer - which is great since loads of these bits do form the trailer ! The HI-Q's engine backpack, the exhausts on the back of the cab and the front of the upper legs are also rendered in chrome like the front bumper.. The small robot Powermaster Prime's eyes were red - Ginrai's small robot eyes are blue
The other major difference between Ginrai and Powermaster Prime is the arms. Powermaster Prime owners may like me have been slightly annoyed over the years by the way that the arms don't feel in proportion with the rest of the toy. It's fairly well known that Ginrai's arms have extending fists - blue as opposed the fixed red of Powermater Prime. I'm wondering if there isn't a molding error on the arms/fists - if the blue sliders for the fists were unerneath the arms then they wouldn't be visible in super robot mode. The fists aren't the only difference between the two in the arms - Where Powermaster Prime has flat surfaces between the armour on his shoulders and forearms there's a cog like molding to indicate an elbow on Ginrai - sadly it doesn't bend. This cog is a couple of millimetres larger than the corresponding flat surface on Powermaster Prime. The forearm is maybe 7 or 8 millimetres longer giving the arm about a centimetre longer on Ginrai - Ginrai's wrist is level with the end of PM Prime's hand. On top of this you've got the hand - about 10 mm long - giving the arms a much longer and more proportioned look on Ginrai. I have to ask myself why these were changed for the US version - though if Powermaster Prime came first it's easy to see why the Japanese would change it.
Two other minor points: The large robot head is the same as the western version which looks a little big still on Ginrai and Ginrai has some ridges on the recesses on the barrels of his guns that Powermaster Prime doesn't have.
VERY nice piece overall, and I'm astonished by how much difference the tiny changes between the molds make !
Ginrai was released as Transformers toy C-307 and was also available in the C-310 giftset which was reissued c2001
Godbomber
Godbomber was at the time a unique toy. It's a Japanese exclusive for a start which serves as an add on to a larger toy that drastically impoves it. I saw it on a friends Japanese toy sheet in 1992 and by 1993 we'd acquired one.
Godbomber's vehicle mode is like a van - a chromed front with three empty windows - in the cartoon he transports the three smaller Autobot Headmaster humans - with some red wings sticking up at the back alongside a black firing cannons The top of the vehicle is blue with the bulk of the body being grey. All colours match Ginrai's. He can be used independently, towed by Ginrai's cab - the tow bar pegs into the hitch for the trailer - or towed by the trailer - the tow bar fits into a space between the back wheels when you part the super robot legs and is held there when you push them back together.
To transform Godbomber into robot mode you have to take it apart. This automatically sets some people against it. The chrome front unclips, the wings & cannon are removed, the blue arms that form the top of the vehicle unpeg, the grey panel on top is removed from the base and the base splits in two. Place the base halves next to each other with the grey sides next to each other. Fold feet out the front of the base and stand the legs up. Fold the tow bar back inside the chrome cab front so it's pointing backward. Fold a Sideswipe like head up from the grey top panel, then clip the top panel into the chrome cab front making sure the tow bar is held within the body cavity. Mount this body piece on both legs. Peg the red wings into the shoulders. Peg the blue arms into the wings. The gun can either peg on the top of the body's shoulder or be used as a hand held weapon as can any of Prime's weapons.
Yes it's another brick with just turning arms. It's quite a big brick though, but slightly plain looking in robot mode from the front with just blue and grey visible. As a stand alone toy - a take it apart trailer to robot - Godbomber isn't that good but his other (real ?) function as add on battle armour which adds bulk and height to Ginrai really makes this toy. (see bellow)
The closest any Transformer toy comes to Godbomber is Armada Overload - trailer, forms add on for larger robot - but even he can be transformed without coming to pieces !
Godbomber was released as Transformers toy C-309 and was also available in the C-310 giftset which was reissued c2001
Famously early prototypes for Ginrai exist as shown on P38 Generations. The one there has a silver cab front with open windows and has lost it's missile launcher compared to this prototype. A slightly different one is seen on early versions of the Godmaster leaflet showing a flatter silver grey used for the cab front with filled in windows. He's got a missile launcher but is pictured holding a Ginrai handgun. All these versions involve more hinged panels and the missile launcher mount would appear to pivot back. I'll talk about the prototype again bellow when I discuss it's impact on the combined robot.
God Ginrai
God Ginrai is formed by combining Super Ginrai & God Bomber.
To combine the two toys strip Super Ginrai of all four weapons and raise the trailer hitch so it's pointing out the back of the robot. Disassemble Godbomber. Godbomber's legs become God Ginrai's feet - place them wheel together and pointing up. Super Ginrai's feet then clip into the back of the new feet while pushing him down locks them into place between Super Ginrai's Clip Godbomber's blue arms over Super Ginrai's red ones - the blue arms are hollow so there's no need to retract the fists (This does of course mean that Powermaster Prime has no problem wearing the Godbomber armour). The grey panel pegs into Ginrai's back and the trailer hitch folds down on top of it. Peg the red wings into the sides of the back panels - I use the side peg with the peg hole facing backwards and then mount Super Ginrai's hand guns on the back to resemble Prime's exhaust pipes. Super Ginrai's dual cannons then plug into the sides of the feet. Fold the trailer hitch on the chrome cab piece forward then clip the cab over Super Ginrai's chest folding the trailer hitch down to cover the waist. Peg the side peg of Godbomber's missile launcher into the hole on the top of the chrome chest piece with the long peg behind God Ginrai's head.
Once you see God Ginrai assembled a lot of the odd design choice on Super Ginrai make sense. The head is the right size now for the larger God Ginrai toy and the legs are in proportion compared to the rest of his body. Articulation is the same as the smaller robot but Godbomber's missile launcher provides him with a nice shoulder cannon. The chromed chest gives a real sense of this being an armoured version of the smaller toy.
God Ginrai was formed from Transformers toys C-307 Super Ginrai & C-309 God Bomber. He was available in the C-310 giftset which was reissued c2001 - the only differences between the two giftsets is that the 1988 version has a styrofoam box insert compared to the clear plastic one in the 2001 version and the 2001 version is missing the original 1988 catalogues and offer leaflets.
Back to the Godbomber prototype. This would have given us a slightly different version of God Ginrai. He'd have gained a new handgun from Godbomber, but the differently moulded pieces would have given him smaller blue arm pieces seemingly still complete with 5mm shoulder ports that could have taken the dual cannons - loosing these is one of the few minus points against God Ginrai - while the front of the shoulders would have been covered by red wing slaps attached to the sides of the chest which in turn would have limited the arm movements.
Fire Guts Super Ginrai, Fire Guts Godbomber and Fire Guts God Ginrai
As with most Japanese reissues God Ginrai got some limited edition recolours. Fire Guts God Ginrai is proof that you can be colour blind and work in the Takara design department ! Over all parts of the toy the following colour swaps are applied: red, white & grey all become orange, blue becomes red, clear blue becomes clear orange and silver chrome becomes gold chrome while black stays the same.
My eyes, my eyes, it hurts my eyes. Possibly the worst repaint not to use Energon Blue !
Fire Guts God Ginrai was an e-Hobby exclusive.
Nucleon Quest Super Convoy
Nucleon Quest Super Convoy is a bit of an odd toy - it's just the Powermaster Prime/Ginrai portion of the reissued giftset, there's no God Bomber in this recolour. It's also one of the few (only ?) Black Convoy's not to be an Evil Convoy. The following colour swaps are applied: red, white, blue & grey all become black while clear blue becomes clear red and both the black & silver chrome stay the same.
There's almost an obligation to do a black Prime repaint. If someone said Powermaster Prime in black this is what you'd think of, there's no mucking about here with other odd colours. Does the job.
Nucleon Quest Super Convoy was available as a Toys R Us store exclusive in Japan in 2001.
Reissue Powermaster Prime, Apex Bomber and Apex Prime
Hasbro decided to reissue Powermaster Optimus Prime as a parts Toys R Us' exclusive Commemorative Series II in 2003. This version of Powermaster Optimus Prime is different to the original - it's a direct port of the Ginrai mold complete with chrome and metal chest and as such is a huge improvement over the original. As an added bonus the pack also includes Godbomber - rechristened Apex Bomber - in his first western release ! Apex Bomber's missiles are substantially remoulded to conform to US safety standards but this is the only alteration to the set that I can spot.
Given an improved toy with a new extra toy you'd have thought it would have flown off the shelves ? No, Toys R Us in the UK have had them until quite recently.
Really there's no excuse, if you want a Powermaster Prime then buy this one
Future Recolours
Nucleon Quest Super Convoy should prove an adequate Scourge/Nemesis Prime stand in but Powermaster Prime has never been issued as Ultra Magnus. With a new head and maybe new shoulder weapons it'd be interesting to see the result.
How To Improve Powermaster Optimus Prime
One of the reasons I wanted to review Powermaster Prime was to get this written out. When Masterpiece Optimus Prime came out I looked at it and thought "Original Prime doesn't need this, he's good enough already." If an early Prime toy needs reworking then it's the Powermaster Optimus Prime. Starting from the Ginrai version of the mould here's what I'd do:
1) Firstly the cab would transform like the original Prime cab, with the cab front becoming the robot's chest. Why change it ? And as an added bonus that would mean the head was facing the other way so you could fold the small head up in combined robot mode. While we're at it make the small robot's lower arms red and the fists blue.
2) An aside really this - I'd re-articulate Hi-Q with ball jointed hips and knees so he can bend his legs properly.
3) Elbows ! Look you can see how they'd work with the molding on the Japanese version. Given a decent degree of customising skill I'm sure you could make a Powermaster prime who's elbows would bend it's so obvious what needs to happen.
4) It wouldn't be too hard to include a swivel bicep joint on each arm above the elbow. Again a skilled customiser could probably do it themselves.
5) Indeed with a little extra work the elbow would recess into the upper arm panels in truck mode giving a flat front to the truck trailer.
6) While we look at the truck trailer lets alter the blue panels at the front that the robot arms are attached to. Either make them grey so they match the side of the truck in vehicle mode or red so they match the robot's body in combined mode. The box back image shows the blue panel as red giving a unified colour to this front area on the trailer.
5) The waist represents a problem. I'd like the toy to have a waist since there's an obvious flat join between the red body and white waist section. However what do you do about the the back panel which is hinged to the waist ? Two solutions - connect the back panel with a three way hinge attached to the upper body or turn it into a shield with a large Autobot symbol on it
6) Hips & Knees. The toy obviously should have them but I'm a bit defeated how to work them in
7) Make the head turn - alter the mounting to the body.
8) Make the eyes light up in the head head - there's room for an LED and some watch cell battery in there. Power it by a small trigger at the back of the head - like Armada Prime - or better yet engineer it to be triggered by the Powermaster socket somehow - push HI-Q in and the eyes light up.
9) Make dual cannons elevate by hinging them at the base.
10) Convert both the dual cannons (and black guns ?) to fire missiles
11) Make the trailer hitch into a removable G1 Prime gun for the small robot - could be done by having the barrel as the 5mm peg and the stock lock between two spring loaded pegs at the top.
12) Make cab front line up with the sides of the super mode body as shown on the back of box picture to make the cab flush with the super robot body at the top and front.
They produce that and I'll pay for it.
